Tossed Greens: Hiding from water woes and snappy warnings

I was researching the pro and con of the Salinas storm-drain system last week and came across a document that listed city talking points explaining why they shouldn't have to upgrade its system to ensure pollutants of all stripes don't make their way into Monterey Bay. One bullet point stopped me in my tracks.

"The city will be required to enforce the requirement that irrigation systems do not operate when it is raining."

Oh the horror. Imagine what it would be like if the citizenry of Salinas was forced by heavy-handed regulators to turn off their sprinklers when it's raining. What's that? Common sense dictates we do already? I strive to have empathy for everyone, but some people make it difficult.

Job well done

A tip of John Deere cap to Clemente Millan, who after 18 years of supervising lettuce, romaine and other vegetables harvests, is looking forward to spending more time around his own dining table.

Millan retired from Braga Fresh Family Farms on May 2, just over a month after his 18th anniversary with the company. He started on April 4, 1996.

Millan intends on enjoying his retirement in Greenfield with his wife of 39 years Eloisa. The couple plans to travel, visiting Mexico and their four kids in Yuma, Arizona. They are looking forward to spending time with their 10 grandchildren.

Shake, rattle and roll

I love press releases. I really do. They either inform me of critical information that needs to be disseminated to the public, or they're great giggles.

Apparently this is going to be a bad summer for rattlesnakes, according to a news release from Nature-Cide, a maker of natural pest-control products. Or rather, a bad summer for those who get too close to area rattlers.

So, precautions must be taken, the company advises. First and foremost, "If you see a rattlesnake – don't try to pick it up."

Well … um … OK. I'll check that off my not-to-do list.

Drought? Ho-hum

The facts about this drought keep rolling in, and we keep, well, printing signs asking to conserve water. Look, everyone in this county falls into one of three categories: 1) Those who care about conserving water, 2) those who don't care, and 3) those who are oblivious to everything around them.

Those who place economic interest above long-term sustainability fall into category No. 2.

Fliers and silly catchphrases are not going to raise groundwater levels.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture just released its May 2014 water supply forecast. Stream flows that are far below normal are forecast for the southern parts of Oregon and Utah, southwestern Idaho, California, Arizona, New Mexico and western Nevada.

Of the nearly 500 counties experiencing drought across the country, 57 of them are in California alone, according to USDA.

Fear is ruling the day. Gone are the days of political will, of strength, of leadership, and of being more concerned with voters than check writers. I'll be the first to acknowledge that's a overly broad generalization, but there's too much truth in it to allow meaningful change.

Our groundwater levels are falling, seawater is encroaching on overdrafted aquifers, and high nitrate levels are building. Where is the coordinated, concerted effort to cut water use based on science?

It's so much safer to print signs.

My voter recommendations

Not. You're smart people. You read and attend candidate forums. You talk about issues over your kitchen table. I've worked hard to provide unbiased reporting on the agriculture and business issues that hopefully dovetail into your decisions in the voting booth.

So think, analyze and vote. Please.

Dennis L. Taylor covers agriculture and the economy for The Californian. Follow him on Twitter @taylor_salnews